Container



May 14, 1940.

J. M. HOTHERSAL L CONTAINER Filed April 12, 1938 KKK ' NVE OR- Patented May 14, 1940 PATENT OFFICE Y iii-2,200,275

' John 'lV I f-Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to 'Ame'rican Can Company,New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Application April 12, 1938, SerialNo. 201,599

6 Claims. (01. 220-1) The present invention relates to labelled-including lithographed metallic containers or cans and has particularreference to can body and in some cases also can end construction-which allows 5 for the usualcanclosing processesbut which functions to'disrupt the can wall or walls thereby destroying the usefulness of the can when tampered with, thus'preventing opening, substitution of the can contents, resealing of the can using 10 the same label and insuring a single use for that labelled-container. In some respects the present inventionis an improvement upon the FredG. Foss application Serial Number 69,983 filed March 20, 1936, for container. 1 .1

15 Like the Foss invention one outstanding use for the present tamper-proof invention is in the canned lubricating oil field where oilcompanies have been botheredwith certain nefarious practices of bootlegging and substitution of oil. Such sub- 20 stitution is largely'directed tov cans having nationallyv known .la'bels usually lithog'raphed cans which havezbeen opened,1the oil'removed, other oil replaced in the canwhich'was then resealed without in any. way'changing thelabel- This 25 illicit merchandising.is byno means confined :to

the-oil trade but in any. instance a poorer prod uct has been palmed ofi on. an innocent public who judging from the label, which does not-rightfully belong, forms a mistaken judgment of the 39' 'contentsiof the can thus resulting in lasting damage to the lawful owner of the label.

An object of the present invention is the, provision .of ayl'abelled container or-can so formed that a part of the .can w'illbreak and prevent re- 35 conditioningand re-use .when an attempt is made to take out the original can contents and to substitute and seal into the can some other contents. 'Another object of the invention is the provision of a labelled can of the double seam type having a 4o body 'wall in which is cut a pluralityof parallel score lines located in and adjacent the edges of the body, the scored body wall breaking through or fracturing when and if the seam is disturbed, as when the scored section of the body wall is 5 flexed back and forth as would be unavoidable where an attempt is made to substitute other contents or other can parts.

A further object vof theinvention ;is the provision of a can ofthisnature having in addition a 50 scored portion in the can cover wall;

7 Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description .which taken i qqm qfitionwith the accompanying draw 55 ,ing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing: v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealed litho graphed can embodying the present invention; ,7 Fig. 2 is a plan view of a can body blank from Which a can body may be subsequently formed, 6 this view showing the blank from the inside; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a can end blank from which a can bottom orcan cover may be subsequently stamped showing the blank surface which willbecome the inside in the completed end; and 10 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a can end or cover such as may be formed from the blank of Fig. 3.

The can of the present invention as shown in Fig. 1 may be made in the usual manner of samtary double seamed cans. A lithographed can is shown. The can body blank designated by the numeral I I in Fig. 2 which is used to produce this can is scored on its innersurface with short score lines l2 arranged adjacent the two long edges of the'blank. These score lines in the formdisclosed are parallel and preferably do not extend quite to the edge.

Other parallel score lines I3 may also be cut in the can body adjacent the short edges of the blank. These are shown as extending to the edge although they may-stop short of the edge and in fact in many instances will not be used at all. One of the short edges is extended in the usual hook projection M at the ends of which are the usual notches Hi this being an ordinary form of sanitary can body blank, The opposite short edge may be slit as at It such construction providing for the lock and lap side seam found in mostsanitary cans of commerce.

The can ends which are the bottom and top of the can are first die cut or otherwise blanked from a metal sheet to produce an end blank 2| ;(Fig. 3) This blank may be scored adjacent its periphery in short radially disposed score lines 22. These score lines are cut on the inside surface, that is, on the surface which will become the inside of the end produced from the blank.

The can body blank I l is brought into its tubular can body shape in the usual manner as by 5 rolling or bending and the desired edge hooks are bent to include the projection l4 and the part of the blank edge on the opposite side between the slits [6. This bending is done in one direction only and does not amount to a flexing of the metal. The blank edges including the score lines l3 are thus shaped without in any way cracking or breaking the metal at the score lines.

A can body side seam 25 thus results and for most products the seam parts are subsequently 5 The bottom for the can which may be drawn 7 I or otherwise shaped from an end blank 2! (Fig. 3)- is then double seamed on the lower end of the can body as shown at 26 in Fig. 1. When the can end is drawn and this applies equally to both.

bottom and cover for the can, the peripheral edge of the blank is bent and shaped into the usual cupped and annular flange 21' (Fig. 4) leaving a central panel 28. In such shaping action there is no flexing of the metal but a bending in one direction, the score lines ,22.not being broken or cracked in this. operation. 1

In. the double seaming of the end flangev and the body flange the flangedparts are interlocked together in" the usual manner and this further bends the can end and can body walls in the regions of the respective score lines 22 and 52 but this is merely further bending the scored parts in the same direction and there is no unbending or flexing action.

' The can with its bottom end securely attached may then be used in the regular way, that is, it is filled with its contents and a cover (Fig. 4) may then be double seamed on the top of the can to fully seal it. This is the same procedure as in double seaming the bottom and the score lines 22 are brought partly into the double seam as shown at 29 in Fig.1. The can is provided with a label which identi= fies the product, this label usually being lithographed on the body wall as at 3| but it may also be on either end. Such a label for the top'end is shown at 32 (Figs. 1 and 4).

When a substitution for the contents of acan is made it is first necessary to gain entrance to the can. Since the party making the substitution does not want to leave a record of the act but does want to remove the original contents from the can and replace it with something else, he effects admission into the can at a seam, either reshaping any bent parts or inmost cases unbending the double seam, cutting away the end and thence resealing-by using another end. Ob

viously a hole cannot be cut in the can and then patched after the substitution as this could'not be done Without the patch showing. I

By scoring the various portions of the can at the seams as is herein shown and described, any attempt to make an opening into the can at any seam part is completely frustrated. The scored areas while permitting the usual can manufac: ture which includes bending of the various parts in one direction, quickly break through where the reverse or unbending of the seamed parts is practiced. Thus wherever an-attempt is made to provide an opening in the can the inherent accompanying flexing of the can Wall at the place of opening breaksthrough and destroys that can for further use. i I

While the drawing illustrates the scoring as located in both'the side seam and the end seams of the can and in the end walls as well as in the body'walls, in most cases the score lines l2 in'the body wall will eifectively prevent that kind of vention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore, described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

formed to prevent undetected substitution of the container contents which comprises, a can body having a weakened score line out in the interior surface of the body wall one end of said score line terminating adjacent an edge of said body,

and a can end interengaged with said body in a seamed joint, said score line being incorporated in said seamed joint and insuring fracture of the body wall at the seam in the event that the can 1. A single service tamper-proof container body and can end connection is disturbed asv when attempting to open and reclose said container at I itsseamed joint.

2. A single service tamper-proof container formed to prevent undetected substitution of the container contents which comprises, a can body havinga. plurality of weakened score lines cut in the interior surface of the body wall one end of each score line terminating adjacent an'edge of said body, and a can end interengaged with said body in a seamed joint which includes a part of said score lines, said score lines insuring fracture of the body wall material at the area thereof and attheseam in the event .that the can body and can end connection is disturbed by an unbending of the body wall as when attempting to open and reclose said containerat its seamed joint. v

3. A single service tamper-proof labelled con! tainer formed to prevent undetected substitution of the container contents which comprises, a can body having a'plurality' of weakened.- score lines cut in the interior surface of the body wall and extending at an angleto the edge of said'body,

and, a can end interengaged with said body ina 4. A sheet metal single service tamper -prooflithographed container formed to prevent undetected substitution of the container contents which comprises, a can body having a lithographedlabel on its exterior surface and weakened score lines out in its interiorsurface said seamed jolnt which partially encloses said. score I score lines'extending inwardly from the end edges of said bo y, and can ends interengaged with the body edges in seamed joints, said score lines being incorporated in said seamed joints and insuring fracture-of the body wall at the seams and mutilation of said lithographed label in the event that the can body and can end-connections are disturbed as when attempting to open andreclose the container at a seamed joint.

5. A'single service tamper-prooflithographed container formed to prevent undetected substitution of the container contents which comprises, a

can body having a lithographed label on its exterior surface and weakened score' lines cut in its interior surface,said score lines extending inwardly' from an end edge of said body, and a r can cover having a lithographed label on its exterior surface and weakened score lines out in its interior surface which extend inwardly from its peripheral edge, said cover edge being interengaged with the body edge in a seamed joint in which said score lines are incorporated, said score lines insuring fracture of the can body and cover wall material in the area of said score lines with consequent mutilation of said lithographed labels in the event that the can body and can end connections are disturbed as when attempting to open and reclose the container at its seamed joint. v

6. A sheet metal single service tamper-proof lithographed container formed to prevent undetected substitution of the container contents which comprises, a can body having a side seam and also having a lithographed label on its exinterior surface adjacent its top and bottom edges and extending into its side seam, said score lines extending inwardly from the end edges of said body and from the edges which are enclosed in said side seam, and acan bottom and a can cover interengaged with the body edges in seamed joints in which said score lines are embodied,

said score lines insuring fracture of the body wall material at the seams in the area of said score lines with consequent mutilation of said lithographed label in the event that the can body and can end connections are. disturbed as when attempting to open and reclose the container at a seamed joint. I

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL.

terior surface and weakened score lines cut in its 

